


Of Reunions Once Dreamed

by Rens_Knight



Series: In the Burning of the Light [8]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-23
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2019-01-21 22:54:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12467792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rens_Knight/pseuds/Rens_Knight
Summary: In the course of the long struggle against Darth Thanaton, heretic Sith Lord Tarssus Kallig, and archaeologist Talos Drellik swore a vow of brotherhood to each other.Now that the battle is won, it is time for Talos to give his father, retired Moff Archivauld Drellik, the news.  But as the soldier-scholar well knows, the future always proves to be inextricably tied to the past.





	Of Reunions Once Dreamed

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place the week after the end of Darth Thanaton's Kaggath and the accession of Lord Tarssus Kallig, rechristened Darth Imperius, to the Dark Council, placing it in the universe of In the Burning of the Light just before the beginning of "Forever Is Who We Are." This story, however, is a direct sequel to "A Brother's Tale."
> 
> A canon note for this story: If you're wondering why my version of Lord Kallig/Darth Imperius considers Talos Drellik a member of his family, see my story, "A Brother's Tale."

It was over at last.   
  
That bloody Kaggath of Thanaton's that had cost the Empire its victory at Corellia before Tarssus Kallig--now Darth Imperius before the world, Talos Drellik reminded himself--could put a stop to the madness, was finally over.  And Tarssus had done what his ancient ancestor, Lord Aloysius Kallig, could not against _his_ opponent, Tulak Hord.  He had bested his accuser and taken his seat on the Dark Council.  Which Talos found most fortunate, and not simply because Tarssus was one of the precious few, remarkable Sith who had managed to balance the power and the madness that vied for control of the Dark Lord's spirit and serve the Empire as a force of rationality...and even Light, when he managed to get free of those who would seek to destroy a heretic like him.   
  
It _also_ meant that Talos would not be sentenced to die alongside the man--his younger brother.  
  
Talos Drellik and Tarssus Kallig could hardly have been born into more disparate circumstances.  Tarssus had been slaveborn on Dromund Fels.  Talos' had been the life of the sub-aristocracy's lightning-wracked spires in Kaas City--a life of finery, yes, but a precarious one should the machinations of another highborn family topple them from their position, or worse, should the disfavor of the Lords of the Sith fall upon them.  
  
Moff Archivauld Drellik had always been most clear to his sons, what he expected of them.  The younger, Typhon, who had unexpectedly manifested the Force, was to become a Sith Lord and bring honor to his family according to his gifts.  The elder, Talos, was to enter the Imperial Academy and carry on his father's military legacy, and he was to seek a marriage befitting the status of the Drellik family and ensure the continuance of his line.  When a teenaged Talos had protested his father's initial attempts to get his son on the courting scene on grounds that he sought male affection instead, Moff Drellik had taken an aggravatingly active role in obtaining the names of suitable young men to whom Talos might direct his attentions, as if Talos weren't clever enough to manage his _own_ dating life and determine who he might be compatible with, _never mind_ the lowered odds of mutual interest, thank you very much.  
  
_That_ insistence by Talos in navigating his own destiny had been _nothing_ compared to what happened in the dark days after his younger, Force-sensitive brother Typhon had cut relations with the rest of the family.  His parents' marriage fell apart under the strain of their grief.  And even though the divorce had been relatively amicable as far as such _damnable_ disasters went, it still left no one free of its sting.  And these losses had made Moff Drellik even _more_ hellbent on seeing his remaining child, Talos, become everything that a Drellik ought to be in his service to the Empire and his family's honor.  
  
There was just one problem: Talos, by then a miserable young midshipman aboard an Imperial Star Destroyer, wanted nothing to do with battle plans and conquest, not when an immense wealth of ancient beauty and wisdom lay scattered throughout the Sith Empire, just waiting to be unearthed and decoded.  And Talos longed to be the one to discover what even the Lords of the Sith themselves had hidden from sight, that it might wisely be brought to bear to make their people great in the eyes of the galaxy once more.  Moff Drellik, however, would not hear one word of Talos resigning his commission then.  The idea of a transfer to the Imperial Reclamation Service, the military's archaeological unit, had only barely placated him, given its removal from the battlefield and its limited chance of advancement in rank for those dedicated to working in the field.  Or as Archivauld Drellik had far less charitably put it, a life of inglorious toil.  
  
Talos had had enough of living his father's expectations.  He petitioned for and won the transfer, and things fell into a frosty near silence between the two of them that had lasted for years, only mending when Talos' discoveries and academic credits really started racking up and the old Moff, now retired, truly began warming up to the idea.  
  
Then Tarssus Kallig had come to Hoth, with an offer to take on a dedicated research and advisory position outside the military, reporting instead directly to the young Sith Lord.  Despite the immense risk in working directly for a Sith, Talos volunteered anyway.  This was his chance to _truly_ discover the secrets of the Sith in all their fearsome splendor, as few without the Force were privileged to do.  
  
Talos had expected to find a colleague at best.  He had never expected Tarssus Kallig to find a place in his heart.  And even less for Tarssus, who could not reciprocate his romantic desires, to tell Talos that he had not been entirely wrong in what he saw, and to offer a hand of brotherhood as a sign of the love he could and _did_ feel.  
  
Through all of this, Tarssus Kallig and all who joined his quest had been under the anathema of Darth Thanaton and marked for death.  So Talos hadn't dared breathe a word off the _Fury_ of his siblinghood with the young Sith Lord, not even to his blood kin.  Not until now, with Thanaton dead and the newly-christened Darth Imperius triumphant.  
  
So Talos had told Tarssus it was time.  And now, here Talos Drellik stood, tapping the holocomm code for his father into the _Fury_ 's computer.  
  
" _Talos!_ "  Moff Archivauld Drellik stared at his son, who wore a finely-tailored suit clearly inspired by the uniform of an Imperial officer...but was very much _not_ the uniform of an Imperial officer.  " _Where have you_ been _all this time?  And what have you_ done _\--_ "  
  
Right on cue, Moff Drellik stopped dead in his tracks.  Tarssus Kallig slid into the holofield, drawn to his full height, but with a shadow of a smile across his pale features as he took up a position at Talos' side.   
  
" _Is that_ Dark Lord Imperius _?!_ "  
  
The young Councillor of the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge offered a simple, understated nod.  Talos still found such titles incredibly dissonant with what he knew of Tarssus.  He could only begin to imagine how it felt to his younger brother.   
  
" _My lord!_ " Talos' father exclaimed." _This is an immense honor!_ "  
  
Even before the man could finish kneeling before the Dark Councillor, Tarssus was already lifting his hand in the gesture to rise.  "The honor is mine, Moff Drellik," Tarssus replied.  "It has been an immense privilege to make your son's acquaintance.  He has played an instrumental role in recent events as my dedicated advisor on archaeology and the work of the Imperial Reclamation Service.  But his presence has meant far more to me than that."  
  
" _Is this...pardon my boldness, Darth Imperius, but I must ask Talos this: is this what it_ looks _like to me?_ "  The Moff's chest puffed out in pride.  
  
"No, not exactly" said Talos.  "Imperius and I are not engaged, if that's what you're asking."  Moff Drellik deflated slightly, despite his best attempt to hide it.  But the next statement caught the retired Moff entirely flatfooted.  "We are sworn as brothers instead.  I still felt that was something you ought to be informed of personally."  
  
Moff Drellik blinked.  " _Brothers?_ "  Both men aboard the _Fury_ nodded.  " _Talos, this is incredible._ _I don't know how you've done it, but you've done extraordinarily well for yourself after all!  An ascendant Dark Councillor as your brother--_ and _still eligible for a bachelor of suitable standing, whom I sure will see all of the advantages of such an arr--_ "  
  
" _Father!_ " Talos snapped in a rather strangled-sounding hiss, chagrined even though he had warned Tarssus in advance what to expect.  He wasn't sure what was worse, Archivauld Drellik's deliberately overblown surprise that he'd managed to ascend to Councillor's advisor from the position of archaeologist-soldier, or the sub-aristocrat's most untimely focus on just how his son--and now Tarssus!--might advance the Drellik name.  Talos opted for the latter.  "I'll thank you _not_ to waste the Dark Lord's time attempting to marry me off like I just graduated the Imperial Academy...!"  
  
That stopped Talos' father cold.  " _Of course--you're quite right, my boy.  Apologies, Lord Imperius._ "  
  
Talos supposed that was as close as he would get to an apology addressed to _him_ \--but he found himself smiling anyway.  Though it was far from the reason for any of this, there _were_ advantages to having a Dark Councillor as brother...just not the ones Father had in mind.  Not in the least of which was the opportunity to immediately cut off an episode that could otherwise have undone all the work Talos had put into reconciling with the old Moff over the years.  
  
"Accepted," Tarssus acknowledged.  Talos doubted his father could tell, but there was no doubt in _his_ mind that his brother was looking quite bemused by the whole thing.  For a man who now stood near the very top of the Sith Empire, second only to the Emperor and his cadre of handpicked servants, there was much that still baffled Tarssus about high society...or even just the life of the freeborn in general.  And _this_ whole notion...that some among the freeborn would view marriage as a means to social or financial ends rather than an expression of personal love and loyalty...it clearly floored him to actually _see_ that mindset in action.  
  
"Now, Father," Talos cautioned, "this oath of brotherhood is something that ought not be announced for every gossip column from Kaas all the way to the Republic to broadcast--"  Nor for all of Tarssus' remaining enemies to know, Talos willed his father to grasp more than anything.  "But I felt it incumbent upon me to deliver the news personally, and to make it very clear that this does not change my regard one whit for my birth-kin."  
  
"Nor do I ask that it should.  And I never will," Tarssus seconded, looking Archivauld Drellik's holoimage square in the eye.  He knew _why_ Moff Drellik needed so much to hear this.  What dread Talos' father would never have dared voice before a Sith Lord.  "While there may be times--such as the one that has just ended--where my crew and I mustn't give away our position, that will be solely out of tactical necessity.  Nothing more.  You have my word on that, Moff."  
  
" _Well, then!_ "  Moff Drellik squared his shoulders once more in pride.  And relief.  " _My lord--Darth Imperius--please know the depth to which this honors our family.  My home shall be open to you at any time.  And while I retired from the service some years ago, if ever you should require my assistance, I shall be available at your call._ "  
  
"While things are quite busy with the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge at the moment, in light of the recent...leadership transition, I hope that at some point soon, circumstances will allow for a visit to Kaas City."  With that, Tarssus let slip a weary smile.  "I'm sure you can imagine the sort of paperwork that comes with a Council transition.  I would suppose it's the only thing worse than what follows the appointment of a new Moff.  As such..."  The young Dark Councillor glanced over at his elder brother.  "I had best take my leave.  I fear that thus far, my Sphere's investigations have yet to uncover a Force ritual that would cause my task list to shrink itself in my absence."  
  
Talos grinned, imagining how Tarssus might weave the fanciful image of such a hypothetical ritual: _First you draw in a deep yawn full of the Dark Side of the Force, breathing in the dust of the bones of bureaucrats.  Then, don't forget to spit in triplicate upon the damned task list!  That's the final key to banishing the vengeful spirits of Redundancy, Drudgery, and Redundancy..._  
  
"If I ever find mention of such a ritual," Talos promised his younger brother with mock gravity, "I shall be sure to notify you at once."  
  
With that, Tarssus nodded once more and slipped out of the room.  
  
" _He seems an interesting sort, and not in an undesirable way_ ,"  Archivauld Drellik commented once the door had slid shut behind Tarssus." _It's strange to think that Lord Imperius comes from the same Order that--_ "  _That Typhon used as an excuse to inflict such pain upon our family_ , Talos mentally filled in for his father's anguished silence.  
  
"It might seem that way, sir," Talos said, with a formality that was a throwback to the days when both had been uniformed officers of the Empire.  "That said, if my studies of the Sith have shown me anything, it's that no two are truly alike.  Imperius very much has his own way of doing things.  And the Empire stands to gain immensely from it."  Talos didn't dare speak the truth from a distance, even over a secured frequency...not when Darth Aruk and the Sphere of Sith Philosophy might be listening for signs of heresy.  But perhaps someday, when the brothers came home for a visit, Moff Drellik would intuit it for himself.  
  
Then again, maybe he was starting to already.  The hologram of Moff Archivauld Drellik peered closely at his son.  " _Are you_ sure _there was no way he would have considered courting--_ "  
  
" _Father!_ "  Talos bit his tongue before he could shout out, _THAT conversation is none of your business!_ At the same time, he gave thanks that the red of his burning face and ears would be lost to the blue haze of holography.  
__  
Moff Drellik drew a deep breath, reining his own temper in as well.  " _I must admit things have worked out well_ ," he offered up in a roundabout sort of concession.  " _And it_ would _be good to see you again, Talos.  This is not the way I imagined I would receive two sons instead of one_..."  
  
"There are no replacements," Talos said.  "There can't be.  He knows, Father.  We both do.  But where there is no replacement, there _can_ still be gain."  
  
" _I suppose so_ ," Archivauld Drellik mused, half to himself.  For the first time, a faint shadow of a smile passed across his stern features.  " _I do suppose so._ "


End file.
